(The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.)

Theresa Latini is the president of the newly formed United Lutheran Seminary in Pennsylvania, a merger of two shrinking seminaries of the liberal Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Years ago Latini was the director of OneByOne, a group of which I am a board member and which teaches that homosexual behavior is contrary to God’s will. Someone found articles Latini wrote back in the late 1990s with OnebyOne's heading and she and OneByOne are now under attack. See this article by the pro-homosexual group Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries: https://www.elm.org/…/elm-statement-concerning-united-luth…/

Most tragically, however, is that President Latini has now repudiated the Bible’s teaching on homosexuality and has wholeheartedly embraced the LGBTQ community. She believes the Holy Spirit helped her “evolve” to embrace homosexual relationships. She has experienced “transformation”. To quote Latini:

“Thanks to the Spirit’s work and relationships with an ever-expanding community of others, my understanding and ministry evolved into one that is “open and affirming” of LGBTQ+ persons. I listened to church leaders and theologians who had adopted an inclusive sexual ethic based on compelling interpretations of scripture and theology. I met LGBTQ+ Christians who celebrated their sexuality as a gift of God and somehow managed to remain in a church that rejected them—barring them from ordination and refusing to bless their faithful partnerships…In short, transformation worked its way in me…I apologized to persons I knew had been hurt by my previous work, and committed myself to teaching, writing, and administrating from a position of support and advocacy for my LGBTQ+ students, colleagues, and others. I regret the ways that my words and work once failed to embody inclusion, justice, and care. I am now the proud President of United Lutheran Seminary, a Reconciling in Christ seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). As the leader of this community of faith and learning, I acknowledge the beauty and diversity of God’s creation, including all sexual orientations and gender identities. Together we are working to become culturally competent, actively identifying and resisting homophobia and heteronormativity (as well as other forms of bias) in our community and world.” (For Latini’s entire statement here:http://theresalatini.com/open-and-affirming/)

Wait a minute. What happened to the 2009 decision of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America that conservatives’ “bound conscience” on homosexual behavior would be just as respected as liberals’ “bound conscience”? What happened to the decision that the ELCA will allow both views? It appears now that a seminary president cannot hold to the traditional, biblical teaching on homosexuality without perhaps losing her job. And this president doesn’t even believe the Bible anymore on the issue. It appears to me the liberals are firmly in control of the ELCA and will permit no view but their own.

Most sadly in all this is that Latini attributes her endorsement of homosexual behavior to the Holy Spirit. That is much too close to blasphemy. Please pray for her and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America which grows more heretical by the day

What spirit would that be? Not the one from the Trinity, I am quite sure.

Reply

John

3/7/2018 05:15:24 pm

JS,
Well said, sir. The process Latini describes as spiritual formation, inclusion, evolution, affirmation, interpretation, transformation, advocacy, justice, welcoming, or any other euphemism for *swinging*, is really just searing of the conscience.

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Didaskalos

3/10/2018 06:13:43 am

If you want to see the self-deceived depths of apostasy to which the ELCA's leadership has sunk, the latest exhibit is "Open Letter to the ULS President and Board of Trustees" [ https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Lzd2PeFulBFu2CKUdNKID63bQy9wCOdtLVZuWwxJ85s/edit ]

The first paragraph attempts to whitewash the apostasy by applying Philippians 4:8 to it. The ELCAspeak translation of that attempt is basically "Whatever trendy sin is right in our own eyes and the world's eyes, we're going to give ourselves over wholeheartedly to it."

A subsequent paragraph in the letter is as Orwellian as it is diabolical: "While many recognize that an individual’s ideologies and beliefs may transform over time, this institution’s leadership has not embodied principles of truth, honesty, justice, purity, and goodness that are essential for its own transformation. . . Therefore, we call for the immediate resignation of ULS’s president, Dr. Theresa Latini, and former-board of trustees’ chairperson, Rev. Dr. J. Elise Brown."

ELCAspeak translation: "It's not enough for us that any former possessor of a Biblical stance on sexual sin now assure us 'I've got my mind right, boss.' The taint of past confessing Christianity can never be erased to our satisfaction. And we're slamming the door on any possibility of Biblical fidelity with ELCAspeak appeals to 'truth, honesty, justice, purity, [blah, blah, blah, Mr. George Orwell, please pick up the white courtesy phone...]."

Once a confessional Christian, never an ELCA "leader." This is the ELCA's new Sola Feels hermeneutic in iron-fisted action.

Are you alarmed enough yet, ELCA member, to flee Babylon on Higgins Road?

Reply

John

3/6/2018 10:36:01 pm

The ELCA is an Orwellian trainwreck. Besides Latini, they've targeted one of ELM's board members too -- "Give us names!"

Isn't it time to add the ELCA to the cult watch lists? Considering their counterfeit Christianity, hidden agendas, loyalty surveillance, intimidation tactics, and searing of the conscience, they certainly qualify now more than ever.

Maybe we will remember the 21st century, the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, as the era when two American Lutheran denominations were born (LCMC, NALC) and one apostatized into a cult (ELCA).

Before selling out to the world, most of the ELCA used to hold to a Biblical sexual ethic:

ELCA Conference of Bishops, 1993: "There is basis neither in Scripture nor tradition for the establishment of an official ceremony by this church for the blessing of a homosexual relationship. We, therefore, do not approve such a ceremony.."

http://wordalone.org/docs/wa-marriage-resolution.shtml

Reply

Slade the Leveller

3/12/2018 06:56:24 am

First and foremost, I normally don't mind whatsoever putting up my real name because I fear very few mortals in this life. But seeing the political climate we live in these day *and* these Regressive Liberals being reprehensible pieces of garbage, I decided to go against my better judgment and cloak my identity in secrecy. That said I will move on with the following.

Since the early 90's I have been attended and involved with several churches within the ELCA. Though I had not been attending my previous church in the past few years, something came to my attention recently in regards to the minister. Unfortunately I am not at liberty to divulge or discuss what has transpired. Suffice it to say it could be described as the straw that broke this camel's back. So long ELCA and thanks for many great memories. Barring a miracle from above I do not want to be a part of this denomination, and hopefully moving on to greener pastures. See ya, wouldn't want to be ya!

The Problem, Pastor Brock, is that of free will on both sides. No one is saved by the law, neither those who demand it be kept nor those who cannot keep it (that being all of us). We are saved by faith alone. Both sides are fruitlessly arguing two sides of the same coin: the law. ELCA doesn't get it because ELCA is theologically non compos mentis.

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Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. ​1 Thessalonians 5:21

Dan Skogen

Former ELCA seminary student and former ELCA member who is fed up with the ELCA's consistent mockery of God's Word.

If you have been helped and blessed by Exposing the ELCA's ministry, please help us continue to proclaim the truth of God's Word to ELCA members who need to hear it.